This is is truly a magical dish for all those meat lovers out there. Originated from the Cantonese cuisine, Chinese Crispy Roast Pork Belly or Siu Yuk, can usually be found in every Chinatown BBQ meat shops and restaurants. In Vietnam, this dish has become a beloved staple dish at every dinner table because it can easily impress the pickiest eater! The idea of making the dish from scratch might sound terrifying at first, but trust me, it is actually quite simple. All you need is a oven, the listed ingredients, and some tips. If I can do it, you totally can!
Before we get started, let’s take some mental notes! The reason why this dish is so addicting is because of its magical textures. You get the first layer of super crispy skin, second layer of melt-in-your-mouth juicy fat, and lastly, the layer of tender meat.
First, let’s talk about the skin. In order to achieve the crispy pork skin, it is important to have a flat and even piece of meat. When one side is higher than the other, the skin won’t crisp up beautifully. But don’t worry if you happen to buy an uneven slab of pork belly, simply cut the excess meat until it becomes flat and of equal height.
Second, meat-to-fat ratio should be perfect. Try to a piece of pork belly that has a perfect meat-to-fat ratio. I don’t want your meat to be too lean, otherwise, it won’t have the melt-in-the-mouth effect afterwards. Vice versa, if your pork belly is too fatty, the end result will be overly greasy.
Lastly, let’s talk about the temperature. We will use the slow cooking technique using low temperature for this recipe in order to achieve that tender and juicy cut of meat. And obviously, the lower the temperature used, the longer the cooking time. So be ready to torture your nose and the growling tummy with the aromatic smell of deliciousness!
Without any further or due, let’s get started, shall we? Yes – we shall!
Chinese Roast Pork Belly
Serves 4-5 people
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 kg of pork belly
2 tsp of five spice powder
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sugar
Vinegar to brush on the skin
Salt to cover the skin
Dipping sauce:
30 ml of fish sauce
1 tsp of vinegar
2 tsp of sugar
Minced garlic
Minced chilies (if you want a spicy kick, but this is optional)
Let’s get to cooking!
1. Preparing the pork
Wash the pork and then pad dry. Using the tip of your knife or a sharp metal skewer, poke tiny holes all around the skin surface. The more holes, the better! But try not to go aggressive and poke too deep into the fat. What you want are small and delicate holes, people!
2. Marinating the pork
Mix together the dry seasoning (salt, sugar, and five spice powder). Then rub it all over the meat side only.
Lastly, let it dry out, skin side up in the fridge, uncovered, for approximately 12-24 hours depending on how impatient you are I usually prepare the meat the night before and let it rest overnight!
3. Roasting the pork
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to take the meat out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and let it rest until it gets to room temperature.
While waiting for our oven to preheat, grab a large piece of aluminum foil and fold it up to cover all sides of the pork. This will prevent our cut of meat from losing its moistures and shape during the slow cooking process.
Next up, brush the rice vinegar all over the pork skin. Then sprinkles sea salt evenly until the pork skin is completely covered. It is very important to cover the skin completely because salt helps draw all the moistures out of the skin.
Place it in the oven and let the meat does it thing for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
4. Crisping the skin
Once the timer is up, take the pork out of the oven. Turn the oven temperature up to 485 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove all the salt from the skin and discard. Once oven is pre-heated, place it back in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the skin is puffed up and gotten crispy.
Let the meat rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Again, resting time depends on how impatient you are! And voila, it is ready to serve with a side of steamed rice, dipping fish sauce, and your choice of greens!
Bon Appetit, everyone!
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